Construction Laborer
Salary

A sizeable majority of Construction Laborers in the United States are men. In this role, average pay is around $13.87 per hour. Earnings sit near $9.71 per hour on the lower side but can approach $25.24 on the higher side. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by career length. For the most part, Construction Laborers enjoy their work and report high levels of job satisfaction. Roughly two-fifths report receiving medical coverage from their employers and roughly a fourth collect dental insurance. The information for this rundown comes from respondents who completed PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Construction Laborer

A construction laborer works with their hands in a variety of construction work. Some of their tasks include digging holes, ditches, and trenches; mixing concrete; painting and plastering; and installing drywall. They help to build and maintain buildings and infrastructure such as roads and highways. They also set up and clean up work sites. Construction laborers work in a variety of settings. Some work outdoors, while others work indoors, at great heights, or underground. Construction workers typically work a standard 40-hour week, although may also experience production halts due to dangerous weather.

It is vital that construction laborers follow safety procedures. Many construction sites include dangerous equipment and terrain, and sites may pose a potential hazard not only for construction laborers, but pedestrians around the work site as well. Construction sites must be kept clean and free of unwanted materials to reduce the potential for injuries. Construction laborers working on the ground near heavy machinery must also be sure that the machinery operators have visual contact with them at all times.

A construction laborer's needed training depends on their job's complexity. Most receive on-the-job training, while others must go through apprenticeship programs; an apprenticeship can take anywhere from two to four years to complete. Apprenticeships provide paid training, as well as 400 hours inside a classroom learning basic construction knowledge such as blueprint reading, tools and equipment, and safety procedures.

Construction Laborer Tasks

Load and unload equipment, clear work areas, and bring materials to workers with specific skills.

May operate hand and power tools of all types.

Perform tasks involving physical labor at many different types of construction projects.

Common Career Paths for Construction Laborer

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There are some Construction Laborers — though it's uncommon — that transition into Construction Managers, where earnings are an average $73K annually. Construction Laborers most often move into positions as Construction Foremans or Construction Project Managers; those groups report median salaries that are $19K higher and $38K higher, respectively.

Construction Laborer Job Listings

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This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Construction Laborers report using a diverse set of skills on the job. Most notably, facility with Welding and Carpenter are correlated to pay that is significantly above average, leading to increases of 54 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include Roofing Materials Installation and Labor Relations.

Pay by Experience Level for Construction Laborer

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Construction Laborers, more experience in the field does not usually mean bigger paychecks. Salaries of relatively inexperienced workers fall in the neighborhood of $29K, but folks who have racked up five to 10 years see a notably higher median of $34K. Construction Laborers with one to two decades of relevant experience report an average salary of approximately $40K. Construction Laborers with more than 20 years of experience report incomes that are only modestly higher; the median for these old hands hovers around $42K.

Construction Laborer Reviews

What is it like working as a Construction Laborer?

Construction Laborer in Apopka:

Pros: The environment people and opportunity for growth. I like how the company is always growing the looking for new ways to exceed.